Tag Archives: Pancake

Of course as tourists, we had to pay the “I amsterdam” sign a visit! From left to right: Christian, Katelyn, Emily, and Alex hiding in front.

During the second day we spent in Amsterdam, we had a couple of things on our list that we wanted to see since it was our first time visiting the city. However, the autumn season meant that it was quite rainy and chilly, so we decided to opt for some touristy things to do inside. Since we hadn’t had time to pick up groceries the previous evening, we were determined to find a cute pancake place to get some breakfast to fuel us for the day. One of the employees at our hostel was very helpful at giving us a couple of suggestions and recommended a place called The Carousel, and with that we were off!Walking to the pancake house!

By the time that we reached the restaurant, we were all sopping wet from the free shower that we’d received from our walk through the rainy city so it was a relief to sit down in a warm building. There were so many options on the menu and being the indecisive person that I am, it was really difficult to choose, but I settled on an apple, cinnamon and butter pancake. The combination of the apples and cinnamon were lovely and the powdered sugar added a nice sweetness without overpowering the rest of the flavors. Ahhh, just writing about this is making me hungry!Here is my pancake before . . . . . . and after. Yes that’s right, I devoured it!Here is a photo of the carousel in the center of the restaurant, which by the way, was located in a beautiful park.

After filling our stomachs with the joy of pancakes, we made our way over to pay this guy’s art a little visit. Yes you guessed it, the Vincent Van Gogh Museum! On the way, we walked past the iconic “I amsterdam” sign, so naturally, I had to get a picture.Such a beautiful view! (And no, I’m not even being sarcastic! I think I’m one of those few people who looks at gray rainy weather and still thinks sights like this are beautiful haha)

The Van Gogh museum was another thing on the top of my list of things to do while visiting the city, and although it was a bit expensive, it was worth every Euro! Plus, it was a really great place to visit on a gray and rainy day.View of the museum exterior.Here is my ticket to the museum with the famous sunflowers!Alex and Katelyn at the entrance to the first exhibit in the museum.A timeline of events during Van Gogh’s life at the beginning of the museum.

The first floor of the museum focused on aspects of Van Gogh’s art and painting techniques, including color and application using different signature paintings as examples of his style. To the left you can see one of the artists’ paint palettes, and to the right is a painting used to showcase how color plays a major role in his artwork.

We then made our way upstairs and worked our way down through the rest of the exhibits.A view from the top!One of the portions of the museum. I really enjoyed the layout and wall color choices to make the paintings stand out. Mesmerized by the paintings (and possibly the bright yellow back drop).Emily looking fascinated by this portrait.A wall of the museum showing how researchers can analyze the paintings in-depth and discover previous works of art that have been painted over. Apparently Van Gogh used to use canvases that he had already painted to create new works of art!

If you are ever in Amsterdam and have the patience or interest to view some incredible and iconic art, I would definitely recommend taking a look at the Van Gogh museum. It was definitely more of an interactive experience than I expected, which I really enjoyed because sometimes art museums can get a bit monotonous, but this one seemed to attract a wide range of ages. Throughout the museum there were different artifacts, sketches and letters that Van Gogh had in his possessions during his lifetime, as well as computer stations that allowed visitors to take a look at his painting techniques and use of perspective instruments. I have to admit, I didn’t know a lot about Van Gogh beforehand other than the fact that he is infamous for cutting off his ear, ouch! Through this museum experience, I was able to acquire a lot more information about his journey as an artist including his early struggles with perspective and honing his skills during art school. I suppose that Macklemore was right in his song when he said “the greats weren’t great because at birth they could paint, the greats were great cause they paint a lot.” Once someone successful has reached their destination it is difficult to ever imagine their struggles and life before their fame. It is reassuring to have the reinforcement that if you continue to practice your passions, there is a chance that you can potentially make a living doing what you love! The rest of the day was pretty simple. We went to a local supermarket to pick up some food for dinner and left to go cook our meal at the hostel. Well, that concludes day two in Amsterdam!

Why hello there! My name is Madelaine "Lainey" for short, and I'm just a girl with a craving for exploration, a love of travel and a passion for theatre! So feel free to grab a cup of tea, coffee or whatever makes you feel warm and cozy and follow me along this journey!